WordPress Releases Twenty Fourteen Theme

Yesterday, WordPress revealed the much anticipated Twenty Fourteen Theme. Unlike previous themes, Twenty Fourteen is a magazine-style theme that focuses much more heavily on images and digital media to visually communicate your story or message to your audience.

We have been talking about the pros and cons this morning. To understand how much the WordPress theme has evolved over the past couple of years, take a quick look back at the previous ones.

Twenty Ten

Twenty Eleven

Twenty Twelve

Twenty Thirteen

WordPress Twenty Fourteen Theme

Here’s what we like.

More visuals means readers can navigate to what they need and digest pertinent information faster.

The emphasis on visual story-telling makes the user experience more robust.

Overall, there’s a better use of space, especially with the sidebars.

Here’s what we don’t like.

At first glance, it feels cluttered. The lack of weight or hierarchy might distract from the message.

You’re not going to get the same look, feel, and user experience using this theme with a publisher who relies heavily on copy instead of media.

If you don’t already use images, videos and digital media in your content on a regular basis, the transition may be a barrier to publishing great content.

So what do you think about Twenty Fourteen? Will it make it easier to tell your story and share your message online? Or does the emphasis on visual media hinder the publishing process?